Roofing-strip.



R. W. BIRD.l

ROOFING STRIP.

APPLICATION HLED PEB. 5,1912.

Ll 30,'36@u Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

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' narra sains naar REGINALD W. BIRD, GFBROKLINE; MASSACUSETTS, ASSIGNOR-TO 'FLINTKOTE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, F IBUTHERFORD, NEW JERSE/Y, A CORBORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, REGINALD W. BIRD, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roofing-Strips, of which the following isaJ speciiication, 4 1

This invention relates to roofing made of flexible sheet material. v l

One featureof the invention lies in; the

formation of a blankof sheet material which is divided into'a plurality ,of roofing strips.

The terms roong material i and froofing strip as used throughout this specifica` tion are not intended.v to have any limi-ting effect uponthe adaptation of the invention to any onespeciiic part of a supporting structure, the article hereinafter described being adapted for use upon wall'sas'well as upon roofs. 'z' The blank of sheet material from which the roofing strips are produced has continuous longitudinal ,marginal portions, a plurality of series ofgnarrow slots, each series extending longitudinally and ,'each slot eX- tending transversely, and a straight longi tudinal continuous portion between the slots of one series and the slots of another series. ThepurposeV in .providing the.' slots is ,to render the roofing strips capable of simu lating shingles, and the purpose of forming the blank so that its longitudinal margins are continuous is to facilitate handling the material and rolling it for shipment, and for avoiding the liability of breakin' or other wise injuring the portions whicl simulate shingles. The purpose in forming the blank with a longitudinal continuous `portion between the slots of one series and the slots of an adjacent series is to make it possible to divide the blank along a longitudinal straight line between two series of slots without intersecting any of the slots. Each roofing strip, when ready ,for la'ying, has a series of slots which are relatively near the edge which is exposed when the strips are laid upon a foundation lin overlapping relation. The exposed ,Inarginal portion of each stripwhen #laid visi-'continuous, because of the fact that the slots do 4Specification of Letters Patent, Application filed February 5, 1912. serial no. 675,650.

atented Mar. `2, 59155.

not extend to the edge. Each tab which represents a shingle is connected by integral parts ,of -thes'trip with the two adjacent tabs, the connecting portions being leftfor the purpose of better holding the lower'ends ofthe tabs. .Y

In order to carry out Ithe simulation of shingles as far-as possible, the continuous marginal portion along the lower edge of each strip is turned back, thus increasing the aggregate thicknessat the lower edgeof w eachjtab The line valong which the turnedback pnrtionsis bent would preferably intersect the slots which -deline the shingle-'like tabs, because such formation gives the slots the' .appearance 5 of being opene 'at thelower ends, the turned-'back portionv being preferably turned under rather than jov`er`s`o''that the, marginal parties `which iis-turmoil back will bef concealed with f the exception of: the narrow. -'I iortions Iconnecting theends of the tabs. These connecting portions, however, being removed from the plane of the "outer surface, are scarcely noticeable, and-"fthe simulation of shinglesis carried to ainfad vanced condition, while at .thei sanefftiine the -lower ends of the tabs are Yleft connectedwith each otherfso that they reinforce jeach other and preserve uniform spaces vbetween them.

Of the accompanying draw-ings which illustrate the invention: Figure 1 represents a portion of afbl-ankof flexible' sheet material suitable for rooing purposes, which blank is of indeterminate length.. Fig. 2 represents a portion of a roofing strip, on a somewhat vlarger scale, which strip is the result of dividing into two pieces the blank shown by Fig. 1. Fig. 3 yrepresents a view from the outer side of thefstrip after its lower marginal portion has been turned un-` der. Fig. 4 represents a section of the strip on a line indicated by 4 4: of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a, section of the strip on a line indicated by 5-5 of Fig'. 3. Fig. 6 represents anv elevation of the inner side of the strip in the condition corresponding to Figs. 3, 4 and Fig. 7 represents an elevation of a, ,roof covering showing the preferred arrangement 'of the roofing strips -when attached to a foundation. Fig. 8 represents in-dicate the able sheet material in indicated at 15. This blank is made of sucient width to provide a plurality of roofing strips when it is divided longitudinally. lhe blank may be made of any desired width, depending upon the number of roofing strips which it is desired to produce from one blank. lin the present instance the blank is designed to be divided to produce only two roong strips. The blank is provided withnarrow slots each of which extends transversely of the length of the blank, the slots being arranged in'longitudinal series., one of such series being provided for each roofing strip into which the blank is to be divided. llnasmuch as this blank is designed for division into two roofing strips, there are two series of slots. 'llhe slots of one series are indicated at 16, and those of the other series are indicated at 16X. For convenience in. preparing the blank, each slot is in line with a slot of the other series; but this relation of the slots is not essential. llt is however essential to separate the slots of one series, laterally with relation to the length of the blank, from the slots of the other series by a straight continuous portion of the blank extending longitudinally. 'llhe longii tudinal marginal portions of the blank indicated at 18 and 18 are likewise continuous, the ends of all the slots being closed by the three longitudinal continuous portions above described. termediate portion makes it possible to divide the blank along a straight longitudinal line, as for explo the line indicated at 17, without intersecting any of the slots.

'llhe blank, when so divided, provides two roong strips of similar formatiom'each of which strips has a series of slots whose ends are all closed, which slots dene tabs 19 re-v sembling shingles except that their lower ends are connected with eachother by narrow connecting portions 19., By terminating the slots within the edges of the strip, each stri is provided with two continuous lon itudinal marginal portions.

ach strip is inten ed to be creased or folded along a lon 'tudinal line, as at 20, which line prefera ly intersects the slots near their lower ends. 'llhe blank may, if desired, be scored to dene the line 20 before the blank is divided into strips. The strip whose lower marginal portion is folded back overlap he provision of the 1n l nreaeee on the line 20 will have the appearance @5 shown by Figs. 3 to 6. The marginal portion is preferably folded under rather over in order that it may be almost entirely concealed when the strips are secured to a foundation as hereinafter explained. @ne effect of folding back the marginal portion is to increase the aggregatethickness along the lower edge, the thickness thereby effected being more nearly equal to the thickness of the exposed lower end of the usual tile or wooden shingle. Another edect of turning back the marginal portion is to make it appear as if the lower ends of the slots 16 were open and as if the lower ends of the tabs 19 were free and disconnected from each other. o

ln reality, however, the ends of the slots are not opened and the tabs are not disconnected from each other. The connecting portions 19 are scarcely noticeable when the strip is attached to a foundation, but they are as n 'lower edge of each strip lapping over the strip below it. Fach strip upon being laid against the foundation 1s secured thereto by nails 22 driven through the upper marglnal portion 18, preferably near the upper edge. rllhe strips, as shown by Fig. 8, are ed to such extent that the lower ends o the tabs of one strip are slightly below the upper edge of the second strip below, thus providing no less than two layers of roongy material at all parts and three layers at some parts. The portions which are folded under increase the number of la ers to four at the points where the turne -under portions lie.

rAfter the /requlslte number of roofing strips for theentire supporting surface have been secured thereto by nails 22, the tabs 19 may be fastened by suitable fasteners 28,-

one of which may be driven through each tab. The fasteners 23 shown in Fig. 8 are bifurcated at their inner ends and are turned back and clenched against the inner side of the second layer from the foundation. 'llhe outer ends of the fasteners have heads. Fach fastener is driven through the doubled portion of a tab and through the marginal portion 18 of the strip below, and clenched against the inner side of said strip aisance below instead of being driven through the second strip below. The ypurpose in thus clenching each fastener is to avoid penetrating the layer which is in contact 'with the foundation, thus avoiding a passage through which moisture might penetrate to the supporting structure l 21. Whatever moisture does 'penetrate through the-opening formed by the fastener 23 will gravitate down upon the exterior of the layer next below and be thus conducted out into the `open atmosphere instead of being conducted into the supporting foundation.'

When thelower end of each tab is secured in the manner explained'7 its outer layer is held directly bythe head of the fastener. Each tab is therefore held not only by its own fastener but by theportions, 19c

which'connect itwith .the adjacent tabs, the

rlhe metal plate is removed as soon as-thefastener is driven and clenched and is placed in the same relation to another tab, and anv other fastener is driven in the same manner. When all the tabs have been secured in this manner, the roofing strips are all connected with each other so as to form a roofing unit,

the unit being otherwise secured to the supporting foundation as hereinbefore explained.

Each tab may be fastened down by a nail such as that indicated at 2d in Fig. 29, instead of by the fastener 23 above explained. rlihe nail 24, as shown, is driven through both layers of the tab and through the two strips therebeneath and into the supporting structure 21. A fastener of this kind, driven in this way, is fully as effective ,as a fastener 23 for securing the tab, but is not as desirable because moisture may seep through the several layers of material, each 'of which is penetrated, and ultimately lodge in the supporting foundation.

Having thus ex lained the nature of my said invention an described a way of constructing and using the same, althoughwithout attempting to set forth all the forms in which it may be made or all the modes of its use, what l claim' is:

1. A roofing strip composed of Hexible sheet material and having a series of narrow slots vof which each extends transversely of the length of the strip, said series extending longitudinally of the strip, the strip having two continuous longitudinal marginal portions, and a longitudinal bend, the marginal portion on one side of said rbend' lying against that on theother side and crossing below said slots, whereby the aggregate thickness is increased, said bend intersecting -said slots', whereby the slots are 'A made to appear to be open at the ends.

2. A roof covering comprising overlapping strips of filexible sheet material, each strip having along its exposed edge a series of tabs, the strip having a straight continuous narrow marginal portion along said edge connecting the outer ends of said tabs.

3.'A roong covering comprising over-,-

each strip having along its exposed edge a series of tabs, the outer ends of said tabs being folded under, said strip having a straight continuous narrow marginal portion connecting the folded-under ends of the tabs and exposed by the slots between the tabs.

t. rlihe combination with a supporting surface, of a plurality of overlapping strips of sheet material, each strip having along its exposed edge a series of tabs of which the extremities are-folded under, the strip having a straight continuous marginal portion 'connecting' the folded-under extremitiesv lfasteners extending through both layers of the doubled portions of the tabs,- and through the strip next below, and anchoring fasteners extending through the upper portion of 'each strip and into said supporting surface, said anchoring fasteners being concealed by the strip next above.

5. A roof covering comprising overlapping strips of exible sheet material, each i strlp having a series of exposed tabs extending downwardly, and having straight portions connecting said' tabs below their upper ends and exposed by the slots which form the tabs.

ln. testimony whereof l have affixed my signature, in presence'of two witnesses.

' REGNALD BRD. Witnesses:

WALTER l). Annu, P. W. Pnzzn'rri.

,lapping strips .of exible sheet material, 

